Provide names of other journalists involved.
Paul Overberg shared a byline on one of the stories
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
Feb. 2, 2012; April 25,2012, Sept. 6, 2012; Nov. 15, 2012
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Feb. 2, 2012 story on Hidden Wounds reveals the high number of physical and mental health ailments that are suffered by troops who serve in Iraq and Afghanistan. The large numbers of health issues dwarfs official casualty figures and helps explain the growing backlog in veteran disability claims. The April 25, 2012, Battle at Home story explores the destructive emotional impact of protracted war on military marriages and family. It focuses specifically on the largely secretive world of the nation’s most elite troops, the special operation forces. And it uses, as a focal point for illustrating the issue, the crumbling relationship of between a key leader and his wife. The Sept. 6, 2012 story, Making Young Bodies Old, examines the preliminary findings that veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are showing signs of premature aging, according to a broadening study by the Department of Veterans Affairs. This was evident particularly among those suffering post-traumatic stress disorder, mild traumatic brain injury, or both. The Nov. 15, 2012 story on horrific wounds reveals the destruction and frequency of the most terrible wounds suffered in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — those caused by makeshift explosives. The story is told through the experience of one soldier who becomes a triple amputee. His treatment along a chain of care is recounted from the moment the explosion goes off until he undergoes rehabilitation. A sidebar with the cover story explained the treatment of a newly emerging illness among these most direly wounded troops — invasive fungal infection.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
The Feb. 2, 2012 story, Hidden Wounds, was based on an analysis of previously unpublished Department of Defense data on the outcomes from health surveys conducted of every service member returning from combat. The Nov. 15, 2012 story on horrific wounds required research on the ground in Afghanistan.
Explain types of human sources used.
The April 25, 2012 Battle at Home story relied on exclusive access to the top enlisted member of the special operations forces and his wife, both for interviews and the opportunity to witness their wrenching discussion of their emotional problems before a room full of special forces operators. This kind of access has never been granted by this elite group of warriors and was possible only because of more than a year of cultivating sources. The Sept. 6, 2012 story, Making Young Bodies Old, relied upon access to internal research data and study subjects for a VA project looking at the long-term impact of combat. The Nov. 15, 2012 story on horrific wounds required research on the ground in Afghanistan. I traveled in and out of the country on medical evacuation flights and interview caregivers at every juncture where the story subject, Staff Sgt. Christopher Walker, was treated. Walker and his family also cooperated with interviews at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Results:
The April 25, 2012, Battle at Home story led to broader exposure of the marital problems within the secretive branch of special forces troops — which includes Navy SEALs and Army special forces and Rangers. In addition to interviews with the subjects of my story, Chris and Lisa Faris, on morning programs on CBS and Fox, the story led to large numbers of special operations troops and their spouses attending subsequent presentations by Chris and Lisa Faris.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
none
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
All four stories were produced, in large part, through the usual working of sources and collecting and seeking data. For the stories on Hidden Wounds and Battle at Home, it was helpful to use a kind of pragmatic analysis of what I might potentially find if I dug a little deeper. For the Hidden Wound story, for example, I was aware of the post-deployment health surveys conducted by the military. I also knew there was a physical and emotional wear and tear from war, particularly given the multiple deployments that have occurred. This led me to dig into locating data on the surveys to capture whole numbers all the health issues troops suffer. On the Battle at Home story, I was aware that these elite troops who deploy more than any others MUST be enduring problems at home, and as I pushed the secretive branch for more information, I learned that they were in fact becoming increasingly worried about the “fraying:” of their forces and the marriages of their troops. This led them to work with me on making the subjects of my story available to illustrate the problem. For the horrific wounds story, my plan was to simply take one case and follow it through the system and explain the challenges of dealing with people who are quite literally blown apart by these explosions.